How to design a door entrance

A door entrance space should serve as the main focal point for most buildings. The entrance itself should make some type of statement in terms of being formal or informal. A house can look warm and inviting with a front door entrance placed near a porch with railings, for example. Or, a house can have a very formal double-door entry system with no porch and lots of crown moulding at the entrance. The door entrance should match the design of your house or building and be very accessible from the front walk.

Skill level:

Moderately Challenging

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Things you need

Home design books

Home design magazines

Single or double door

Graph paper

Full-length shutters

Full-length glass panels

Light fixtures

Motion detector lights

Peep hole accessory

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Instructions

1

Sketch a door entrance that is large enough for your house or building. Never install a door that is too narrow for the size of the front of the house, since this will subtract from curb appeal. Review home design books and magazines to see what others have used on homes similar to yours. Choose doors with raised panels, a colonial design, smooth front with no panels or whatever is appropriate for your home's architectural features.

2

Use graph paper to draw the front of your house. Allow one square of graph paper to represent four inches of real space. Include all windows and shutters in detail, since a front entrance should balance the facade of the building in precise detail. Experiment with drawing shutters beside the front entrance doors. Sketch full-length panels with glass panes on one or both sides of the door to see if this works.

3

Draw various types of porches and roof overhangs to see what works at an entrance. Sketch a small porch with two columns holding up the roof, for example. Draw a longer porch with railings to see if this enhances the house or building. Experiment with a slanted roof, hip roof or A-frame roof over a concrete porch, brick porch or wooden porch.

4

Design the actual entrance doors of steel, if you live in a high crime or secluded area. Purchase the steel doors with appropriate designs of raised panels or with a solid bottom and panes of glass in the top half, for example. Create lighting at the entrance to help protect your property as well. Design motion lights to come on after dark and include a full-scale security system, if this is appropriate. Include as many safety features as possible, including a peep hole for a solid door.

5

Sketch steps for your entrance that include hand rails and safety features. Build steps that are wider than the doors to allow for easy movement, if your arms are full of items coming into the house. Design a small bench off to the side of the steps to park groceries or luggage. Include 24-inch posts holding small solar lights that can be pushed into the ground near the entrance area. Engage an electrician to wire the walkway or roof area for good lighting as well.